The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for introducing a geothermal probe into the earth.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
The geothermic field, in particular the field of exploitation of geothermal energy for heating houses, requires introduction of geothermal probes into the earth. This may be realized by excavating the earth or through bores in the earth in order to be able to place the probes, used for heat exchange, into the earth or into the bore. In addition to a deep borehole, bores are also considered which cover a greater area of the earth for use as heat exchanger. To realize the respective exchange surface without the need for providing excessively deep bores, it is known to establish several bores to then combine several probes to a system. A drilling device, for example a worm-type auger, establishes hereby first a pilot bore. In a second step, the drilling device or the drill rod linkage and the drill head are extracted from the earth, and in a third step, the probes, i.e. the lines and technique for the heat exchange with the earth, are placed into the established bore. Vertical drilling machines are typically used hereby, whereby down-the-hole-hammer drilling methods, double-head drilling methods, or rotary drilling methods are utilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,515 describes a method and a respective apparatus for introducing probes into a bore. This apparatus should enable a simplified introduction of geothermal systems into the earth, useful in particular in already developed locations. This printed publication intends hereby to avoid the open laying of pipes which is cost-intensive and detrimental to the nature, as oftentimes used when installing probes horizontally. This problem is normally addressed conventionally by establishing a vertical bore. This requires, however, heavy machinery for providing the bore and causes vibrations and shaking that may damage surrounding facilities and buildings. To address this problem, it is proposed to lay the probes without excavation, however not in vertical alignment. This involves drilling of several channels into the earth in a certain manner. In a second step, the respective probes are placed into these bores.
Common to all methods described in the prior art is the drawback of requiring first the establishment of a borehole and then a removal of the drilling tool in order to be able to insert the geothermal probe into the borehole.
This is especially cumbersome when, in order to avoid deep drilling, the provision of a multiplicity of bores is required to realize a sufficient heat exchange with the earth.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to address prior art problems and to obviate other prior art shortcomings.